Coveted writing scholarship on offer

Mairead Hamilton, winner of MG ALBAs scholarship in 2016, trainee director on the set of BBC ALBAs Bannan (image by Cailean Maclean).

Published:15:15Wednesday 19 April 2017

As part of MG ALBA’s strategy to provide training and support for Gaelic writers, the Gaelic Media Service (MG ALBA) is offering talented Gaelic writers the opportunity to apply for its coveted scholarship to study television fiction writing at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The MA Television Fiction Writing course is the only dedicated one year postgraduate programme of its type in the UK, providing aspiring screenwriters with the tools to embark upon or strengthen their career in television fiction writing, and MG ALBA are supporting a placement on the course for one Gaelic speaker. An option to undertake the course on a part-time basis over two years is also available.

The course is taught by a combination of leading TV scriptwriters and academic staff including course lecturer Professor Ann Marie Di Mambro whose credits include EastEnders, Casualty and River City, and Chris Dolan, author and playwright, whose credits include River City, Taggart and taking Inspector Rebus to radio for BBC Radio 4.

Students on the course will work intensively on at least two drama series currently transmitting on British television, learning how to story conference, storyline, write scripts and edit these dramas.

Mairead Hamilton, a talented drama director, won the MG ALBA scholarship in 2016 and we hear first-hand what Mairead thought of the course in the short video available on MG ALBA’s facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gaelicmedia/

Seumas MacMillan was the MG ALBA scholar in 2015. He continues to write for BBC ALBA’s Gaelic drama Bannan, and has been successful in having a half-hour comedy pilot commissioned by BBC ALBA, currently being produced by Solus Productions.

Margaret Cameron, Channel Editor at BBC ALBA said: “We are ambitious for the development of Gaelic writing for television and the scholarship is one of our key means of ensuring we are developing strong, creative writers in Gaelic. This is an exciting opportunity and we look forward to receiving some great applications.”

The MG ALBA scholarship will be awarded to one person, fluent in Gaelic, who will join the programme in September 2017.

Applications need to be submitted before Friday 5th May 2017.

For more information on the MA TV Fiction Writing programme and how to apply for an MG ALBA scholarship: {http://www.tvfictionwriting.com or follow @MATVGlasgow on Twitter|visit}